The size, color and shape of the female labia – the “lips” surrounding the vagina – vary significantly. The truth is there is no “normal” or ideal appearance.
Yet many women feel self-conscious with labia that are elongated, asymmetrical or protruding from the vagina. And some women experience chronic labial irritation from wearing clothing and during sex, exercise or other physical activities. Congenital abnormalities can be the cause of labial variances, but often times the labia becomes stretched and asymmetrical as a result of childbirth and aging.
Labiaplasty, a cosmetic procedure that is increasingly common in the U.S., reduces the size and enhances the shape of the labia minora on the outside of the vagina. A 2008 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that roughly one-third of labiaplasty patients undergo the procedure strictly for aesthetic reasons, one-third for functional impairment, and one-third for both functional and aesthetic reasons.
Whatever your reason, if you are considering a labiaplasty, Dr. MacPhee will provide consultation and recommendations without judgment.
